Housing Takeover: Women Against Poverty Collective Toronto

About 150 members of the Women Against Poverty Collective (WPAC) plus supporters took to the streets in Toronto earlier on Sunday to take part in an anti-poverty demonstration.

Saying their demands for safe, affordable housing for women have been ignored for too long, members of the group entered the abandoned house at 4 Howard St.

Once inside the home, the women hung a banner and pitched tents on the property, saying they will keep the building and provide their own affordable housing for women and their children.

"We are children of survivors, we are survivors, we are friends of survivors of violence and poverty," one protester shouted through a megaphone from a window. "For too long we've had to witness our mothers, our sisters, our friends live through violence."

The group says this action is necessary because the provincial and federal governments haven't followed through on promises for housing and childcare.

"This is necessary because those who are trying to leave violence are stuck in shelters for months instead of the few weeks they should be there with their kids," said protest organizer Anna Willats.

From CTV news.





A parallel march and occupation occured in Vancouver on the weekend in solidarity with the Toronto event.

Images from SmugMug